Man City v Arsenal LIVE: Arteta identifies missing piece as collapsing Gunners lose control of Premier League title race – UK Times

Manchester City have won six of the last eight Premier League titles and have become, for some, the ‘default champions’. But what does it say about the modern game that many neutrals would prefer to see a ‘sportswashing project’ edge out Mikel Arteta’s team in the title race?

Here’s more from Pep Guardiola on a key trio this afternoon:

On Nico O’Reilly, he explains: “Incredible defensive, offensively and set pieces. What a player he is becoming. Playing different positions. He is exceptional. He had the composure today to take the ball and again arrive in the final third for the second goal.

“What a season! I don’t know if he is the best player or the man of the season but the young one? Guys, it has to be.”

On Donnarumma: “[Khusanov] has to block better and the aggression of Havertz. But I liked the reaction of his mates, they were there to help him.

“When I see teams when they concede a goal and everyone is complaining, I don’t like that.”

On Bernardo Silva, he adds: “If you continue to talk about him, I will cry, so be careful. It will be so emotional the moment when he is going to leave. Bernardo is Bernardo. You cannot define him.

“I feel sometimes he has not been seen as a public figure. The stature, he is not fast, he is not strong… but football starts from here [points to his head] and finishes with the feet.

“I feel gratitude for what this guy has done for many, many years.”

There’s more from Guardiola speaking to Sky too:

“If I say the momentum has changed, I would say the momentum for Arsenal is bad when I’ve seen today them playing like this, how is this bad momentum?

“They’re in the semi-finals of the Champions League, didn’t lose one game. Momentum shifts in one instance. They know it.

“I have a lot of respect but, of course, we want to win. We fought a lot as well. For many players today, they fought for the first time for the Premier League and they felt the pressure a little bit, performances were not top but that is normal, it’s the process.”

On the Arsenal approach, Arteta adds: “With the ball we had the same [intent] and we generated the situations that we believed we could generate.

“There is even one where Kai [Havertz] is totally free on the halfway to go one-on-one. We are in the level that we are in because this team has taken us there. That’s the level you need to be to win it.

“Today there are certainly elements, in front of goal which is the most important one, and big chances – you have to put them away to come away from the Etihad with three points.”

On the quality of the match, he adds: “Yes, there was moments but it was a battle as well, and intensity, because you expect that.

“There were big parts of the game that had similarities with the first 28 minutes of the cup final because we had two massive chances to go ahead – and we didn’t. That changes the course of the game.

“We take it game by game, we had some very good moments a few days ago in the Champions League against Sporting.

“We are playing so many games, we are the only team that is playing and playing and playing, that’s a difference as well.

“But the positive is that today we have seen the level and there are five games to go. We are going to give it a real go.

“We have full belief that we can do it. Today we showed again the team that we are. It’s in our hands and it’s there for the taking,” he added.

Rodri has given Manchester City an injury worry for the title race after limping off in their 2-1 win over Arsenal.

The Ballon d’Or winner has a groin problem, which will be examined on Sunday or Monday, as Pep Guardiola waits to discover the extent of the damage.

Rodri, who was replaced by Nico Gonzalez when he went off in the 88th minute, has found his best form of the season in recent weeks as City have recorded four straight wins in all competitions.

Here’s what Mikel Arteta has to say to Sky Sports:

“That’s exactly that and when you don’t do it and they have individual quality to deliver in those moments, you risk losing the game because I don’t think there was any difference between the teams.”

“There are a few elements. There is an element of luck with whether the ball goes in or not. The second one the ball deflects, it goes to Haaland.

“There is individual quality as well and there is, in that moment, to be so cool, precise and ruthless. You have to be that.”

On Arsenal’s performance, he explains: “You could see at the end of the game, and right from the beginning, the attitude of the team. We could have been a bit more composed in certain moments but we certainly took the game to where we wanted and we had big chances to win.

“We went very close but not close enough and now we have to accept we lost an opportunity today, a big one, but there are still five games to go. We need to reset and go again because there are a lot of positives to take from the game.”

The Gunners travelled to the Etihad on Sunday with a six-point lead at the top of the table but that has now been cut to just three points, and with City holding a game in hand Mikel Arteta’s side could see their lead wiped out by Wednesday.

Arsenal are bidding to finally end their 22-year wait for a league title but they could well face a shootout for this season’s trophy, with goal difference potentially deciding the destination of the title.

Haaland and Gabriel were involved in a long-running battle at the Etihad but tensions spilled over in the 83rd minute. It was sparked when Haaland gave Gabriel a push from the side after he had been fouled from behind by the Arsenal defender.

Gabriel reacted by putting his head towards Haaland’s and they stood for a moment with their foreheads touching. But Gabriel then made a another movement and pushed his head towards Haaland’s for a second time.

The league table never lies, apparently. It may do now. A supposed title decider ended with the side still in second nevertheless possessing the advantage. It has been Arsenal’s title to lose for months, but perhaps this defeat means it is being lost.